| |
|
UI Health Care News Home
News Archive
News by Departmental Specialty
News and Publications
Make an Appointment
Contact Us
|
|
|
UI Health Care News: Week of November 24, 2008
UI Hospitals and Clinics Honors Heart and Hands Award Winners
University of Iowa Health Care leaders honored 11 faculty and staff with the Heart and Hands Award for their community service.
The Heart and Hands Award recognizes outstanding and exceptional volunteer service to the community or The University of Iowa.
The 2008 honorees include: |
|
|
Linda Abbott, RN, APN
Abbott was the catalyst and organizer for 2008 Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Survivors' Day. The 2006 and 2007 Cancer Survivors' Days were not well attended and she took this as a challenge to improve the day for the benefit of cancer survivors and their families. |
 |
|
Dayna Adams, BSW, Social Worker
Adams has volunteered as a wish granter, fundraiser, and board member for the Iowa Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, working directly with 20 children over the past 11 years to ensure that their wishes become a reality. As a former wish recipient, she has a unique ability to provide hope to children and their families. “Make-A-Wish has given me the opportunity to be that hope for others and to share in the moments of joy that can be so rare for these children and their families,” she says. |
 |
|
Joan Beckman, RN
Beckman used money she received as the benefactor of a life insurance policy to create an endowment fund in the name of her twin daughters who were born prematurely and died 28 years ago. She created an annual scholarship at her alma mater, Creighton University, to be awarded annually to a junior or senior nursing student interested in pediatric or neonatal nursing from Iowa or the Midwest. |
 |
|
Judy Bontrager, Family Medicine Secretary
For the past three years, Bontrager has volunteered to promote relief aid and an awareness of world hunger through the efforts of the Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale Annual Merchandise and Quilt Auction. She was the Supervising Coordinator for the food purchasing, ordering, inventory, and distribution to the on-site vendors this year. She updated volunteers, made phone calls, organized details, and attended meetings to help raise money for poverty-stricken countries throughout the world. |
 |
|
Jackie Buol, Clinical Staff Office Clerk
Buol belongs to Needles, Hooks, and Yarn, a group of church women who get together weekly to knit and crochet hats, mittens, scarves, and blankets for distribution all over the world, including the Preemie Project at UI Hospitals and Clinics. She has spent her own money on yarn, patterns, and supplies for herself and other members. Her creativity, compassion, and respect for others are appreciated by those in the group and those who receive her handiwork. |
 |
|
Diana Cox, RN
Cox was involved with 4-H growing up in Washington County, Iowa. As an adult, she has been a leader of the Sharon Center Sensations 4-H Club for 18 years. She has served six years on the Johnson Country 4-H Youth Development Committee and almost 20 years as Superintendent of the Departments of Science, Engineering, Personal Development, and Visual Arts at the Johnson County Fair. She has been instrumental in planning and leading the Iowa 4-H Leaders Forum, recruiting and supporting workshop leaders and evaluating programs to improve effectiveness and educational material. |
 |
|
Laurence Fuortes, MD, MS
Every Friday, Fuortes is at the Crisis Center Food Bank handing out groceries and other items to people in need. He also helps with the Pancake Breakfast and holiday baskets each year. Using his Spanish, interpersonal skills, and medical knowledge, he enhances both the quality and accessibility of services at the Crisis Center Food Bank. He serves as volunteer medical director to the Proteus Migrant Health Project, he helps provide care to migrant workers in Iowa with limited access to health care. He also serves as faculty advisor for the UI Peace Foundation and is a board member for the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic. |
 |
|
Susan May, RN
For the past nine years, May has served as volunteer co-facilitator of the UI Hospitals and Clinics Brain Tumor Support Group to help improve the lives of patients and families in the group. She coordinates monthly meetings, arranges presentations, prepares a newsletter, and calls members to remind them of upcoming events. |
 |
|
Mary Merchant, Family Medicine Research Assistant
In 1982, Merchant began to volunteer with the Free Lunch Program in Iowa City. The program now serves 100 to 200 people every day. For 18 years, she has coordinated the volunteers, solicited food donations, and served lunch once a month. She is an active member of the St. Thomas More Catholic Church Social Justice Commission, and helps plan the Iowa City winter clothing drive, Crisis Center food collections, Angel Tree gift collections, and Salvation Army donations. |
 |
|
Ezzatollah Shivapour, MD
Shivapour has been a supervising physician for the Mobile Clinic since its inception six years ago, volunteering at multiple clinics a month. Since clinics cannot be held unless a supervising provider is present, he makes himself available to be “on call.” He is the medical advisor to the Mobile Clinic Board. In addition to his volunteer work with the Mobile Clinic, he provides holiday dinners to the Shelter House in Iowa City. |
 |
|
Vicki Siefers, Pathology Clinical Lab Scientist
Siefers is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City. Approximately 15 families in the Society were severely impacted by the flood, and nine families lost their homes. Even before the evacuation notices were given, Vicki began working to find temporary homes for those who would be displaced. She organized volunteers to help move furniture out of homes. Vicki was active in the clean-up efforts, cleaning clothing and house wares, providing food to workers, and using her medical knowledge to determine what environments were “safe” to enter. She helped raise more than $10,000 for flood victims. |
 |
|
